Whereas in the past link chains in standard sizes, produced from round wire, were used for the scraper chains of scraper-chain conveyors, in the case of mining conveyors a change was already made a long time ago to using link chains with a special shaping of the chain links for the scraper-chains, in order to meet the continuously increasing requirements on the chain strengths. In the case of more recent known scraper-chain conveyors, in order to be able to use thicker chains, which would meet the increased power demand on the scraper-chain conveyors, it has been proposed in the prior art to flatten the vertical chain links of the chains on their parallel longitudinal limbs and accordingly, without reducing the cross-section, to reduce them in their overall height to a dimension which corresponds to a standardized round-link chain of lower chain thickness (DE 32 34 137 C3, DE 36 15 734 C2, "Gluckauf" magazine 1991, p.189).
Numerous scraper designs with different connections of the scrapers to the scraper-chain assembly are known for the scraper-chain conveyors used for example in mining. Most common are scrapers which are detachably and exchangeably connected to the chain links, generally the horizontal chain links, of the single-strand or two-strand chain assembly, with the aid of screw-on parts, such as screw-on chain shackles or closure bars (DE 19 37 608 B2, DE-U 81 34 429.5, DE-A 23 22 898, DE-U 1 949 166). Such multi-part scraper designs are complicated in terms of production and, because of the use of the screw-on parts, require a relatively great effort on assembly when connecting the scrapers to the scraper-chain assembly, and above all also when changing a scraper.